Triathlon starlet Flora Duffy has brushed off her failure to finish the Madrid BG World Cup race as a “freakish one-off” and maintains the chastening experience will only serve to make her stronger.

Despite enduring the biggest disappointment of her fledging career, Duffy has refused to be overly downcast and is anxious to put the withdrawal firmly behind her.

With another World Cup competition in Des Moines (Iowa) in two weeks and the Pan-Am Games in Brazil looming ever closer, Duffy can ill-afford to dwell on her performance and has returned to the UK for intensive training.

The world’s 19th-ranked female triathlete emerged from the 1.2 kilometre swim in the Spanish capital well positioned among the leading pack and ahead of world number one and eventual winner Vanessa Fernandez of Portugal.

But bizarrely, fatigue set in at the start of the bike course with a steep hill seeming to drain the energy out of the 19-year-old’s body.

The former Warwick Academy student admitted that failing to finish had been a bitter pill to swallow, but declared she was now even hungrier for success.

“I absolutely hated withdrawing (from the race) and I don’t understand what happened,” she said. “I felt as though I had nothing left in me — there was just no way I could carry on.

“It hurt like hell, but there is no point dwelling on it — I must look forward to the next race in Iowa.”

Bermuda’s Female Athlete of the Year said following post-performance analysis with her coach she concluded that she had experienced “one of those days”.

“It’s difficult to really find an explanation for my fatigue — it was a freakish one-off.” said Duffy. “I have been doing a lot of travelling lately and been stressed at school — it seemed everything just caught up with me.”

Having taken the professional triathlon scene by storm in 2006 with a series of scintillating displays, many predicted a tougher testing second season for the teenager who is widely tipped to become one of the top competitors in her sport.

And Duffy herself conceded there was bound to come a day when Dame Fortune chose not to smile so sweetly upon her.

“It’s my first full year competing and I have only experienced success up until now so maybe this was a bit of a reality check.

“I’m trying to be positive and I have tried not be overly downbeat. Hopefully it was just one of those days.

“Fellow athletes have been in touch to tell me this sort of experience is part and parcel of professional sport.”

Duffy, who achieved a career best fifth in the Lisbon BG World Cup last month, said the Pan-Am Games in July were her primary focus.

“Races are coming thick and fast and I want to make sure I’m in great shape for the Pan-Am Games,” she said.

“I am back in intensive training and I will probably ease off next week. I really hope to do well in Brazil and need a good race in Iowa on June 17 to boost my confidence before the Games start.”